Charmed by a Snake
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: Sasori offers Orochimaru an abused little boy. Orochimaru notices the way those soft black eyes implore him to save him, and suddenly, years later, Orochimaru has a lover. How could this have happened to the coldest man to ever walk the earth? OroKabu
1. The Finding

Orochimaru had no idea what to expect from this.

He had left Akatsuki only a week ago, and the wounds were so fresh and tender. He had only just managed to take another body, this one with both arms, and Orochimaru was wondering what Sasori could possibly want. He was well aware it could be a trap; he was almost certain it was. Only Sasori had signed the notice he had received, though, and it didn't have Pein's official seal on it. Maybe that was part of the plan…? Orochimaru took a deep breath and stepped out onto a long bridge, suspended over a rushing river. He crossed quickly and headed into the tree line, afraid of being seen. He continued a bit into the woods, searching for the tree Sasori promised he would have marked.

Well, the "X" on the tree off to the left seemed promising…

At a closer glance, Orochimaru could see that instead, it was a crude scorpion, etched into the tree by hands of cherry wood grasping a long knife of pure steel. Orochimaru took a step back and turned around, golden eyes flickering around and searching for Sasori. He knew the puppet master would be here any moment-he hated keeping people waiting. Finally, that shock of red hair came into view, and Orochimaru was surprised that Sasori wasn't inside Hiruko. But as the Akatsuki member came into clear view, Orochimaru could see why.

A small boy tagged at Sasori's heels, looking frightened and half-hidden behind Sasori. He was dirty all over; so much that Orochimaru wondered where he had come from. Half of the filth that the boy was covered with seemed to be blood, and it matted his silver hair and stuck to his pale skin. His dark eyes gazed up fearfully at Orochimaru, and he stepped back even more behind Sasori, one of his small hands clinging to Sasori's Akatsuki cloak and the other covering his mouth. He seemed afraid to speak, or even be noticed, but Orochimaru couldn't help but stare. Sasori, on the other hand, seemed not to care about the boy, and ignored him as long as the small footfalls followed him whenever he wanted them to.

"Orochimaru."

"Sasori."

Their greetings were curt and short, neither willing to fully acknowledge the other. A heavy silence fell between them, broken only when the boy let out a small whimper. "Shut up," Sasori muttered, and smacked the boy hard upside the face. The small child yelped and let out a dry sob, curling up against the tree and wondering what he had done wrong. Sasori gave a huff of exasperation and turned back to Orochimaru.

"Long story short, we found him on the battlefield and grabbed him before someone else could. He seems to have something about him as far as talent as a shinobi goes, but none of us have the time or the patience to develop that. So, we were wondering if you wanted him."

Orochimaru could tell that both Sasori and the boy wanted the other away. Sasori clearly treated the boy with disdain, and the child seemed infinitely afraid of his abusive master. Orochimaru slowly walked through the mud of the forest to crouch in front of the boy, golden eyes still locked into his dark ones. One of Orochimaru's long-fingered hands found the boy's chin; the other remained on one knee.

"What's your name?" Orochimaru asked softly. His voice was low, and almost gentle, and something about it was different than what one would expect from Orochimaru.

"K-Kabuto," the boy managed, "Yakushi Kabuto."

"How old are you?"

"Eight."

"Can you read and write?"

The boy nodded, not wanting to say anything as far as Orochimaru-or Sasori-went. Orochimaru remained staring at the boy for another minute, then slowly stood up and spoke the words that would change his life forever:

"I'll take him off your hands."

Sasori was almost surprised to hear this, but didn't care either way. "Well, Zetsu's been whining lately, so you're a lucky brat," he finally snarled, and seized Kabuto's long, silver hair. He threw Kabuto down at Orochimaru's feet facedown in the mud and walked away, ignoring the boy's pitiful cries of pain. He continued walking until he was long out of Orochimaru's sight, and out of hearing, never once even pausing or turning back.

And Orochimaru realized he was alone with Kabuto.

"Come here," he whispered, once again lowering himself to Kabuto's level. The boy whimpered and hiccupped once, then slowly pulled himself to his feet, wiping the worst of the mud off his face and approaching Orochimaru with distinct fear in his eyes. Orochimaru opened a scroll and summoned a first aid kit, then began wiping the grime off Kabuto's face. Throughout the entire thing, Kabuto would whimper and cry a bit more, upset with how he had been treated, but he would hold still as his wounds were cleaned and bandaged.

"What happened to you?" Orochimaru asked as he held one of Kabuto's hands in his own, bandaging a cut on his forearm. Kabuto gave a tiny shrug.

"I-I don't remember," he whispered. "All I remember is my mom…and my dad…leaving the house…and then, I went outside to look for my cat…and someone came up behind me…and hit me…and I don't remember anything after that. I'm sorry-"

"Hush, it's alright," Orochimaru murmured, recognizing the threat of tears. He knew exactly what had happened: a memory block, or a mind control. "To force an eight-year-old to go on a killing spree," Orochimaru muttered, "And then hand him over to the Akatsuki. Now that's a new level of genius." The sarcasm was evident in his voice, but Kabuto couldn't help another sob. Orochimaru sighed, watching the tears begin to fall again, and sealed the first aid kit away again in the scroll. "Come here," he said tiredly, eliciting a slow, hesitant reaction from Kabuto. He slid his hands under the boy's arms and lifted him up, settling him against his shoulder. The Akatsuki cloak he wore over his fishnet shirt and leather pants meant nothing to him anymore-but he figured that pretending meant little to nothing in today's world. Kabuto buried his face in Orochimaru's shoulder and clung to him like a burr, unsure of himself but wanting the comfort. And for the first time in what must have been years, Orochimaru felt himself growing attached to someone.

How could this one little boy steal his heart and grip it so?

OOOOOOOOO

"Calm down, it's just water!"

"It hurts!"

"That's because it's infected and needs to be cleaned out!"

"It hurts!"

Orochimaru's patience was wearing thin, even with the sobbing eight-year-old sitting on the medical table in front of him. He gave a long, slow exhale and let his head fall, then shook his hair out of his face and tried again. "Kabuto, shush. I need to wash this cut out, because there's an infection in it. I know it hurts, but you can't fight against me, because then it will hurt more. Understand?"

Kabuto gave a small nod, and Orochimaru firmly grasped his tiny wrist in his hand. The other picked up an alcohol pad and began running it over the wound, trying to ignore the whimpers of the boy he was currently trying to clean up. "Calm down," he said, feeling Kabuto begin to tremble. He remained concentrated almost fully on the wound, though, and didn't look up at all. While Kabuto's trembling had stopped for the most part, his shoulders would give an occasional hitch, and his breath came in shirt, gasping breaths. Finally, Orochimaru looked up, trying to see what was wrong.

Kabuto was crying.

Orochimaru finished bandaging the wound and then pulled Kabuto into his arms, feeling his hands clutch at the Akatsuki cloak he had never bothered to take off. Kabuto clung to him, crying his heart out, for a full ten minutes before finally pulling himself back under control. Orochimaru carefully eased Kabuto off his shoulder, staring into the boy's dark eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked slowly. "It doesn't hurt that much, does it?"

Kabuto wordlessly shook his head, another hiccup rising in his throat. "You sure do a lot of crying, don't you?" Orochimaru remarked dryly. "Come on, you need to get yourself a bit more cleaned up, and there's only so much I'll do for you." Kabuto nodded wordlessly, but Orochimaru noticed him covering a flinch when he moved to wipe the tears off his face. Orochimaru's hand flashed up, grasping Kabuto's wrist and forcing it aside, the other hand forming half a hand sign.

"Kai!"

The genjutsu over Kabuto's body disappeared, revealing more injuries that Kabuto had obviously received from Sasori. Kabuto gasped and curled into a ball, quivering with fear. Orochimaru felt a sudden stab of sympathy towards the boy, and lifted a hand to heal him. Kabuto whimpered as the hand touched each of his wounds, but held still. Once he noticed the pain vanishing, however, he suddenly seemed interested in what Orochimaru was doing. Orochimaru was no medical ninja, but his healing would suffice for the moment. Kabuto seemed entranced as Orochimaru closed over a wound on his forearm, and wouldn't stop staring at the green chakra that was working its magic on his wounds. Orochimaru finished quickly, then helped Kabuto down from the table, setting him down on the floor as he washed his hands over a sink against the opposite wall.

A gentle tug on his Akatsuki cloak as he was drying his hands drew his attention down.

"What?" he asked, dropping the paper towel in the trash can in the space between the sink and the wall. Kabuto's face flushed and he immediately looked away, taking a sudden interest in his feet.

"Um…I was wondering…if you could teach me to do that…what you just did…"

Orochimaru shrugged slowly. "I suppose…sometime later though, alright?" One hand came to Kabuto's hair, gently patting the silver hair that lay underneath the dirt and blood. "Right now, you need food and clothes, so we can take care of that first, alright?" Kabuto nodded enthusiastically, and Orochimaru smiled in return. He turned to walk away, and could hear quick footsteps across the hard floor as Kabuto caught up to him.

A smaller hand slipped into his.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Orochimaru was dead tired.

It had been five days since he had taken the boy off Sasori, and he was proving to be a true asset. He was beyond intelligent, increasingly loyal, and seemed only to live to serve Orochimaru. The sannin found Kabuto to be relatively low-maintenance once he had gotten the boy cleaned up: he kept to himself, cleaned up after himself, managed to find his own food, make it himself, or get someone with time to kill to make it for him. Several had expressed concern to Orochimaru; concern he had already taken into account. Even so, Kabuto was allowed to stay, and Orochimaru found his company enjoyable at times. He knew that once the boy was more mature they would end up being good friends, and possibly even have more than a master-slave relationship.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru could hardly force himself to open his eyes. He had been taking a catnap in the sun on the roof, but somehow Kabuto had managed to find him again. "What?" he mumbled, golden eyes opening just a sliver. Kabuto was kneeling next to him, leaning over his face and staring at him.

"I-I have something to tell you…"

His voice was shaking with how upset he was, and Orochimaru could see that he wasn't happy at the moment. In fact, Kabuto's dark eyes were welling up with tears…

"Kabuto, what's wrong?" Orochimaru asked, slowly sitting up. He put one arm around Kabuto and gently embraced the child, knowing that he only needed a father's love at the time. He was so innocent-what could possibly be making him so-?

"I-I'm sorry, but he-he made me tell him!" Kabuto suddenly choked out. "He made me tell him everything! It was like I didn't have any control over my body-Orochimaru-sama, he wants to get you back for leaving Akatsuki, and he's making Sasori use me to find out what you're doing-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Kabuto abruptly broke down into tears, clutching at Orochimaru's shoulders and burying his face in the sannin's neck. "Kabuto-Kabuto, calm down…Kabuto, breathe, you're going to be alright-" But even as he spoke the words, Orochimaru knew it wasn't true. He knew now why Sasori had insisted he take the child-he was only a tool for the Akatsuki to use, because such an innocent little child could hardly be suspect of such a crime. Orochimaru sighed and pulled Kabuto into his lap, trying to comfort the child to some extent. "Kabuto, you need to calm down," he whispered. "I can break his control over you, if you want."

Kabuto's head shot up, and he was suddenly interested. "Really?" he whispered. "O-Orochimaru-sama…could you really?"

"Of course," Orochimaru whispered. "I am stronger than Sasori; he holds no control over me, nor you, and poses a threat to neither of us." Orochimaru pressed a hand to Kabuto's forehead, underneath his bangs and up against his heated skin. "You're alright," the sannin whispered. "Just calm down, take a deep breath, and don't move."

Kabuto's eyes widened. "Don't move? Orochimaru-sama, what-_aaaaaaaaah__!!"_

Orochimaru ignored Kabuto's sudden screams, forcing his chakra further into the child's mind and destroying the barriers around it. Kabuto continued to writhe and scream in agony in front of Orochimaru, trying to get his hand off his forehead. Orochimaru only fought harder, crumbling the last of Sasori's control over Kabuto's mind.

Kabuto collapsed to the ground the second he was released.

Orochimaru stood up slowly, staring down at Kabuto and waiting for the boy to move. He waited for a minute…then two…then three…Orochimaru was beginning to get worried. Had he damaged something else in Kabuto's brain? Orochimaru was about to bend over and check Kabuto's pulse when the boy's arm suddenly twitched. Orochimaru took a step back, still waiting. Kabuto's legs slowly moved underneath him until he was kneeling, then pushed him to his feet. Kabuto stood before Orochimaru, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth, shaking with the effort of standing, but smiling with victory.

"Orochimaru-sama," he finally whispered, staring up into Orochimaru's dark golden eyes, "I will serve you until I die, and I'll die to serve you."

**A/N: Well, it popped into my head…just a short little five-chapter thing, one for two or three years of Kabuto's life maybe…up until ****Shippuuden****, I guess. ****Or maybe one for each of the major incidents in Kabuto's life…?**** Well, I'm going for it, so put this on your alert list and be happy when the next chapter comes out. ****Toodles****, all!!**


	2. The Curse

Kabuto remembered the first time he had ever feared for Orochimaru's life.

The sannin lay out across his bed, writhing in pain and screaming. Ninja avoided his room, that hallway, hell that entire wing of the complex, like the plague. Stone was the best carrier of sound ever discovered and put to use by mankind. And stone was exactly what the underground complex was made of. Orochimaru's agonized screams travelled down the hallways at almost the speed of light it seemed, and every time a new round of pain broke through the medication, Kabuto hurried against the crowds to his master's side. Most admired his bravery; others scoffed at him for his foolishness. Even so, Kabuto reached the snake-handled double-doors in no time and shoved them open, travelling deep into the heart of Orochimaru's suite.

"Orochimaru-sama…may I come in?"

"I don't…need…your _useless sedatives!"_

Kabuto sighed. He knew that Orochimaru was half-delirious from all the medication and from the pain, and he didn't mean the words, but it still stung a bit. He opened the door to Orochimaru's room just as another scream burst forth, and slipped in silently. The door closed behind him, and Kabuto carefully made his way to Orochimaru's side. His gray eyes flickered back and forth over Orochimaru's body, searching for movement from the sannin. The only motion he caught was Orochimaru's twisting, writhing body, and his chest heaving from deep breaths and gasps of pain. Sweat soaked his body and the sheets on the bed, blood was already staining the dark fabric. Orochimaru's torso was bare, for a change: he had discarded the dark-colored shirt Kabuto had seen him wear for the past few days, in too much agony to even bathe, let alone change his clothes. Kabuto could see that the bandages he had put on just an hour before were already soaked through in most places with bitter, crimson blood, and a spear of worry lanced through his heart.

Orochimaru's throat suddenly opened, and Kusanji poured forth.

Kabuto shoved the blade aside, taking Orochimaru's tongue in his hand and yanking it out of Orochimaru's mouth. It hardly hurt, but it kept Orochimaru strangely subdued, like a mother dog picking up her puppies by the scruff of their necks to calm them down. The trick worked: Orochimaru's body soon fell back to the pillows, and Kabuto released his tongue. Orochimaru's chest was still heaving, and the sheets had slipped down, pooling around his bare knees. Kabuto also noticed that Orochimaru wore only boxers at this point: the fever had simply raged too high.

"Calm down," Kabuto whispered, reaching over to run one hand through Orochimaru's hair. "You're alright. Take a deep breath, I'm here now." One hand moved to the nightstand, where he had stashed some emergency painkiller, and he injected the fluid into Orochimaru's shoulder, right where the healthy skin met the dead skin. Orochimaru hardly let out a sound at the prick of the needle, but Kabuto could catch a high-pitched whine escaping Orochimaru's throat at the feel of the painkillers rushing into his system. Orochimaru let out one last, mighty scream of pain, his back arching and his mouth falling open to allow his scream to pass. Kabuto took advantage of the moment to slide his hands under Orochimaru's back and pull him closer across the king-sized bed, pulling the sheets back up over his quivering muscles. Kabuto noticed, with a pang of guilt, how skinny Orochimaru had gotten. He had refused most food offered to him in the past few days, and had barely taken water, either. Kabuto was stuck pulling out his tongue and pouring it down the back of Orochimaru's throat until the sannin would swallow. Now, Kabuto tested Orochimaru's skin for dehydration: it had already set in. Kabuto stood up, waiting for Orochimaru to calm down a bit before he forcibly restrained him and made him drink. He went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of the water out of the fridge where he had left it to get cold. He didn't expect Orochimaru to be excited when he came back in. But, to his surprise, Orochimaru was sitting up when he came back in.

"Want this?"

Orochimaru nodded, and Kabuto withheld nothing. He held the bottle to Orochimaru's dry, cracked lips and tipped it back, his other hand supporting Orochimaru's head as he helped him drink. Kabuto silently thanked Orochimaru for his disproportional tongue: it allowed Orochimaru to feed himself. It saved them both a bit of dignity.

Kabuto gently pulled the water away from Orochimaru after a few desperate gulps. "Not so much at once," he gently scolded, "You'll throw up. Which, judging by the mess, should be feeling pretty familiar about that…"

Orochimaru let out a growl of annoyance and stretched out his neck, nipping at the neck of the bottle until Kabuto sighed and let him drink a bit more. He pulled the water away from Orochimaru again after a bit more to drink, and Orochimaru complained again. Kabuto glanced at the cranky sannin before him, and a small smirk came over his face. Might as well make this interesting.

"Come on, I don't want you to throw up-again. But, if you say please, I might just let you have a little more."

"Shut your mouth, insolent child!" Orochimaru snapped. "You have no right to come in here and treat me like this!"

Kabuto gave an exaggerated sigh and shoved the rest of the water down Orochimaru's throat. His master had been like this for days, and it was beginning to get on his nerves. He had had little sleep for the past few days, and nothing he did was ever acknowledged by Orochimaru, given that most of what he was doing was for the sannin himself. Mixing medicines, getting new sedatives so no one else died (Orochimaru had raised the body count in his room to four in a single day,) making him tea to try to calm his nerves, trying to get him to take food, searching for Tsunade…and still, Orochimaru remained miserable.

Orochimaru coughed, choked, and swallowed.

"I hate you," he muttered. "A lot."

Kabuto wordlessly put his arms underneath Orochimaru's shoulders and lower back, moving the sannin back until he was lying down again. He pushed another pillow under Orochimaru's head, making sure he was comfortable and then pulling the sheets and blanket up over his body. "I'll be back with new bandages in a few minutes," Kabuto whispered, placing a soft caress on Orochimaru's cheek. His hand was not slapped away, as it usually was: due to injury of body or mind, Kabuto did not know. Probably a combination of both. He stood up and walked out, leaving Orochimaru for a few minutes with another Otonin until he could come back with the bandages. It hardly took him five minutes to gather everything he needed and come back, but when he did, the Otonin was dead on the floor and Orochimaru was furious.

"How dare he touch me!" Orochimaru gasped, still reeling from the effort of moving. Even though using Kusanji from his mouth took no toll on his arms, the simple pain of moving was too much. Orochimaru collapsed to his knees just as Kabuto reached out and caught him, guiding him back to sit on the bed, and then to lay down. Kabuto slowly cut the end of the bandages, trying not to move them on the cracked and broken skin that covered Orochimaru's arms. Orochimaru's whines and groans of complaint fell not upon deaf ears: Kabuto hated each and every one of these expressions of pain, and yet he continued to peel the bandages off, slowly and carefully, closing only the largest of the wounds to slow the bleeding. By the time he was done peeling back the bandages, Orochimaru's voice had risen to a harsh scream and he was panting with the strain of even remaining conscious. Kabuto carefully washed the wounds over a basin of water, wiping away the dried, crusted blood and leaving behind only the darkened skin Orochimaru's decaying arms had taken on. Orochimaru's hoarse cries slowly lowered to whines and groans again, and Kabuto realized that the cold water he was using was both calming his master and numbing the pain-or at least taking the razor-sharp edge off it. Kabuto began slowly running the cloth up and down Orochimaru's arm, supporting the weight gently with one hand curled around Orochimaru's fingers. Kabuto was trying his best to avoid Orochimaru's wrists, where he knew the damage would truly begin, and still sooth his master-even in the simplest of ways.

"Finally calmed him down?"

Tayuya was standing in the doorway, looking worried. "Thank God," she said, walking over to Kabuto and standing slightly behind him. "He was really flippin' out earlier…well, good luck with him." The girl then stood up again and walked away, but not before placing a soft kiss on Orochimaru's blood-splattered forehead. The door closed softly, leaving Orochimaru alone with Kabuto again.

"Kabuto," the sannin whispered. On the outside, he might have seemed much calmer, but Kabuto recognized the tiniest, most subtle signals Orochimaru was sending him to signify his distress: the way his eyes remained closed, to hide their emotion. The way his chest steadily rose and fell, trying to bring himself under control. The small twitches his muscles gave when he hit an especially painful spot…

"I-I'm sorry…"

Kabuto's gaze came up momentarily, trying to read Orochimaru's emotions. Still, he came up with nothing. "For what?" he asked, resuming the calming motion of cleaning off the blood crusted on Orochimaru's arms.

"For treating you so badly."

Kabuto said nothing. Orochimaru's eyes slowly opened, staring at his subordinate before closing again in despair. He had failed. Kabuto had written him off as delirious still, and had not taken him seriously. Granted, apologizing was something Orochimaru never did, but still-

Soft lips pressed to his.

Orochimaru's eyes flashed open, catching Kabuto's own closed eyes before his own slid shut again and his muscles relaxed. Orochimaru felt so much better knowing that Kabuto still cared; that he wasn't just doing it for lack of anything better to do, or because he was tired of the screaming, or enjoyed toying with his emotions. Kabuto broke the kiss as soon as Orochimaru got greedy, kissing back and asking for more. He offered him a soft smile, then picked up the bandages and began wrapping his arm once more.

"I accept your apology."

Orochimaru let his head fall back to the pillows with a sigh of contentment, eyes sliding shut as his breath exhaled slowly. He never saw Kabuto's smile; the one true smile, the only one Kabuto had ever given, but he knew it was there. Lying here quietly was proof of that. He trusted Kabuto so much to be the only one to even come near him in this time, let alone change his bandages. It was true: Orochimaru refused to allow anyone else to touch him, lashing out until whoever it was backed off and got Kabuto for him. Orochimaru would tolerate the Sound Four helping him back into bed, offering him food and water, but he couldn't take them trying to change the bandages around his arms. No, only Kabuto was allowed to do that. And Orochimaru trusted him to the extent that he would lie here and sleep while this was done! They both knew it: Kabuto was special to Orochimaru. Orochimaru let out a small moan of pain as Kabuto hit a particularly painful spot, but Kabuto vanished the pain with the gentle touch of a healer. Orochimaru put up with the pain until Kabuto's hands finally lifted from his arm, and the same relaxing treatment was repeated on the other. Orochimaru was finally lying quietly, and Kabuto wanted to keep it that way. He carefully injected a bit of extra painkiller, to help Orochimaru sleep, and then checked the bandages one last time.

"Call me if you need me," he whispered, standing up at last. "I'll always be close."

Orochimaru somehow found comfort in these words, and he knew they would be true. Kabuto always seemed second to know if Orochimaru was in pain: Orochimaru himself being the first, of course. Kabuto always made it to him quickly, and the pain usually lessened in a short time. Orochimaru nodded, and Kabuto placed another sweet, chaste kiss on his forehead, hoping to keep Orochimaru calm enough to sleep. He walked across the room, crossing to the door and opening it to leave.

By the time he did, Orochimaru was asleep.

**A/N: Fluff. I only update with reviews, so don't hesitate to push the magic button!!**


	3. The First

**A/N: I was so beyond writer's blocked on this…but the I got my inspiration back, and worked real hard on this for you, but felt the need to move the rating to "m." So, Merry Christmas, enjoy, and REVIEW, DAMMIT!! I only update with reviews, so hit the magic button!!**

Kabuto watched the outrageous battle from a safe distance, wondering at his master's power. Orochimaru seemed to have no fear of Naruto in his current state: five of the Kyuubi's infamous tails had appeared so far, and his entire body was blackened and charred by the chakra. His skin had just about melted off, leaving him only a shell of his former self, now solely a vessel for the demon. Kabuto held his distance as Orochimaru launched attack after attack, only to be swatted away by Naruto in his rage. Kabuto withdrew a bit to where Sakura and Yamato were waiting; it seemed they needed a bit of help-and a thorough confusing. Kabuto smirked. This could be quite fun!

Kabuto rose from his crouch in the bushes, not revealing his location to anyone. He walked towards Sakura, not revealing himself until he had reached the absolute limit of the tree line. He slowly broke the line of bushes and undergrowth to walk towards Sakura, taking long, slow steps that wouldn't draw much attention. He almost made it to the pink-haired kunoichi's side, but, as he suspected, Yamato's wood came up to encircle his body, and so Kabuto was left to improvise.

"Calm down," he muttered, extending the green chakra to Sakura's wound. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. At least, not yet." Kabuto's chakra danced across the surface of the burn, and Sakura shivered with the pain. Kabuto's brow furrowed. It was barely a wound, and yet Sakura had just about passed out from pain. A small bit of blood dripped down her arm; underneath, several long slashes. Kabuto sighed, rolled his eyes, and continued healing the wound. Konoha shinobi were so weak. But then again, some of them knew what they were doing: Kakashi, several other jounin, and even Yamato himself. Kabuto was quite amused by their pathetic attempts to raise better shinobi: they had failed miserably. Kabuto noticed the wound was almost done healing and released his chakra. The silver-haired genin retreated in a puff of smoke, leaving only a pile of twisted wood and one barely-conscious kunoichi behind him.

Kabuto arrived too late.

He could see his lord conversing with one of the members of Naruto's team. The teen paused, then reached over his shoulder into his backpack. Kabuto had seen this nightmare before-one would pretend to be helping them to gain close access to Orochimaru, then try to assassinate him. Well, he would kill this little freak before he even had a chance to sever one strand of Orochimaru's hair! Kabuto leapt down from the trees, silent as a panther, and landed firmly on the boy's back. One arm lay across his shoulders, pinning him to the ground, and the other was holding a kunai just inches away from the boy's neck. His open backpack spilled its contents onto the ground, but Kabuto still did not relent in his hold. Curiosity meant nothing to him; it never had, and probably never would. Kabuto was just happy nothing was rigged like a dead man's switch and fired when it was thrown a distance and landed.

"Don't you dare," he growled. "Don't even let it cross your mind-"

"Kabuto, calm down."

Kabuto glanced up from the kunai that was currently threatening he boy pinned underneath him. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto asked, controlling himself with difficulty.

"From today on, we might have a new member of the Oto."

"Please, take a look at that letter," Sai said, squirming a bit under Kabuto's arm. "It's from Danzou-sama to you."

Orochimaru took several long, slow steps to where Sai lay, but stopped halfway through. He bent over, long fingers reaching for an envelope that had flown from Sai's backpack in Kabuto's zeal. "Be careful," Kabuto warned, most likely out of habit. He couldn't help but watch almost worriedly as Orochimaru opened the envelope, praying that nothing was going to explode when it opened. Orochimaru pulled out several papers, amber eyes skimming over their contents before one eyebrow furrowed in interest. "This is…" Orochimaru allowed his voice to trail off, and Kabuto couldn't contain his curiosity anymore.

"What does it say?" he asked, glancing up at his master with slight concern in his eyes. Orochimaru pushed the papers back into the envelope and shook his head.

"Let him go," he said wordlessly, re-sealing the envelope. "Let's go, Sai-or whatever your name is."

Kabuto slowly stood up. He was still watching the boy like a hawk, and had no desire to allow him anywhere near Orochimaru. Even so, he had been given orders, and was expected to follow them. Kabuto hardly ever did, but it never hurt to gain favor with Orochimaru. He rose from his position sitting across Sai's lower back and stepped off the teen, putting his kunai back into its respectful pouch behind his hip. Orochimaru waited, a single, damnable smirk on his face, until they had both risen and then took off. Three flashes could be seen of the three ninja disappearing, and then nothing but a small cloud of dust.

OOOOOOOOO

"Kabuto, must you?"

Kabuto turned around and gave Orochimaru a nasty glare. "If I don't clean them, they'll rust and dull so much more quickly," Kabuto complained. "And I don't think either of us wants that to happen." Orochimaru sighed and leaned back, sunning himself on a rock while Sai sat around and Kabuto cleaned off his tools in the river. "Like a snake," Kabuto whispered, watching his master's golden eyes close. Orochimaru cracked one violet-colored eyelid and glared-if that was possible with only one eye half-open. Kabuto decided it was the best death-glare he'd ever seen.

"Something you'd like to share?"

Kabuto smirked and turned away. "Nothing," he said quietly, just enough to spark Orochimaru's curiosity. He knew the sannin would ask again later, but for now, he had shut him up.

"I don't buy that for a second."

A sadistic laugh could be heard throughout the clearing. "Of course not," Kabuto whispered. He knew he was testing Orochimaru's patience, but this was fun. Besides, Orochimaru was lying on a rock in the sun. He wasn't moving any time soon, and if he did, it wouldn't be very quickly or without warning. "But that's why you love me."

"No, I keep you around because the last time I broke my leg, you got me a sedative and asked questions later."

Now, Kabuto truly laughed. "Yes, but I rather enjoyed torturing you in the meantime. I really didn't have to set the leg without sedative first."

Orochimaru's golden eyes slowly opened, violence booming in every fiber of the irises. "You said you needed to know when you re-broke it!"

Kabuto shrugged. "I could hear it. It's a thigh bone; it's going to make one hell of a noise."

No sooner had the words passed from Kabuto's lips than a cloud of shuriken was headed for his face. Kabuto collapsed to the ground, laughing manically, and the shuriken disappeared. Orochimaru slowly pushed himself off the rock, standing up and stretching luxuriously.

"Well, then, now that Kabuto-hime has himself under control, let's go," he grouched, stretching out his limbs. Kabuto stopped laughing to glare.

"Hey! Medics are supposed to be spoiled! We need to be."

One of Orochimaru's perfect eyebrows flew up in a gesture of questioning. "Oh? And why would that be?"

"We need to be able to move quickly and without fear of outside influences affecting our actions. For example, you always complain about how much I clean my lab, and even my own personal space. I can't be worrying about bacteria, viruses, the like, contaminating anything. I need everything in perfect order constantly-if I reach for a scalpel and I pick up a hacksaw, that's not going to help anyone, is it?"

Orochimaru sighed and rolled his eyes. "I hate it when you make a good point," he muttered. "Because it usually means I'm wrong. Now can we please get out of here? They might be stupid and confused, but we can't exactly sit here all day. Comfortable as a hot rock is, we need to keep moving and use our advantage and lead to the best of our ability."

Kabuto nodded and packed up the rest of his things, storing everything in scrolls and such and putting it away in its proper place. The scrolls vanished in puffs of smoke, ready to be summoned again when need be. Kabuto stood up, tucking a single scroll into his kunai pouch, and glanced at Orochimaru. The snake nodded once and took off, Sai right behind him, and Kabuto behind him. Kabuto still hadn't let his guard down around the boy. He was very suspicious in the first place, and hardly any of that had been relieved in the past…oh, say, hour and a half? Kabuto audibly sighed and lost himself in thought until they reached the complex, and then he simply trailed after Orochimaru until told to do otherwise. He saw to Sai's needs in a daze, put a few ANBU profiles under hidden lock and key, and then wandered back to Orochimaru's room.

"Orochimaru-sama?" he called, knocking gently on the door.

"Come in," Orochimaru said, and Kabuto opened the snake-handled double doors. His sight quickly fell upon a lavish room, Orochimaru sprawled out in the center with a book. Orochimaru was lying on one of the many cushions on the floor, the rest stacked around him comfortably. The rainbow of colors extended to dark blue, royal blue, dark green, black, brown, and maroon. A bit of a darker red colored the sheets on the neatly made bed behind Orochimaru. The bed itself was massive, and could probably fit five people comfortably. Velvet pillows were stacked high on the headboard behind Orochimaru's head, and a long, black bed skirt adorned the bottom of the four-poster bed. The carpet was a deep, blood red, and the walls were a stony gray. The curtains were half-drawn over the windows, and candles were scattered around the room for extra light in the half-set sun. Candles rested on the many bookcases that lined the walls and the desk in the corner, and even on the plush bench underneath the huge windows. Orochimaru's normal shinobi clothing discarded, he now wore a loose kimono made of silk and colored like night. Kabuto realized that, without the Sound outfit, Orochimaru was a creature of sharp contrasts. His skin was white, his hair was black, and his eyes were bold gold and purple. The only thing about him that was truly color was his eyes; his beautiful, golden, violet-framed eyes…Kabuto mentally smacked himself. Not now!

"Orochimaru-sama, I just came to see if there was anything else you wanted me to do-"

Orochimaru shook his head. "No, thank you," he said. He sat up, and the kimono slid off one shoulder. "Well, actually…it's kind of a favor I'm doing for you, but let's go for it anyway." Orochimaru beckoned Kabuto over with a coy smile, setting aside his book to half-sit, half-lay on the cushions with his legs together and bent off to one side. Kabuto knelt in front of him, waiting for Orochimaru's move.

It came quickly.

Orochimaru leaned forward across the cushions, sliding one hand behind Kabuto's neck and gently pulling him closer as their lips met. An electrical current flew throughout Kabuto's entire body, starting where Orochimaru's lips had touched him and pooling in his lower back in a shiver of excitement. Orochimaru's other hand remained next to him, leaning on it for support, leaving Orochimaru strangely vulnerable. Kabuto was feeling bold at this point; his hands came up and took Orochimaru's head in their grasp, pulling him closer and kissing him more deeply. Kabuto waited for his lord's reaction; he was a dead man if Orochimaru didn't want to go that far. But, to his surprise, Orochimaru's tongue came forward and pressed at his lips, firmly asking for entrance. Kabuto took advantage of the opportunity and plunged his tongue deep into Orochimaru's mouth, entwining their tongues and pulling the other's into his mouth. Kabuto pushed Orochimaru back, fighting him for dominance of the kiss. Orochimaru's hands fell to Kabuto's shoulders, holding himself up as the genin pushed him back. Dark hair cascaded back to grace the dark cushions, held in one of Kabuto's hands. The other traced down Orochimaru's smooth, curving back to settle in the small, pulling him closer and holding him so. Orochimaru wasn't sure how much control he wanted to hand over just yet, but for now, he could allow the boy a bit of a treat. He submitted quietly and let Kabuto take full control of the kiss, falling back to the cushions as Kabuto pushed him back. Orochimaru moaned in pleasure, arching his back as Kabuto's hand travelled deviously lower. He seemed hesitant at first, but Orochimaru made no move to protest, so Kabuto went ahead and ran his hand over Orochimaru's perfect ass. His legs came to straddle the sannin's hips, pinning him down and trapping his powerful thighs between his own. Orochimaru had never felt more vulnerable-and he had never felt so good.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

The pair froze as the door opened, and a shocked Sasuke stood in its light. Kabuto slowly backed off, and Orochimaru sat up, wiping the saliva off his mouth from Kabuto's messy intrusion. Kabuto pulled Orochimaru to his feet, helping him straighten himself out before Sasuke had a heart attack.

"Sasuke-kun, what the hell are you doing here?" Orochimaru growled, glaring straight at the Uchiha. Still, his prodigy did not answer, only letting his mouth hang open further. Kabuto smirked and took advantage of the opportunity to goad Sasuke further.

"Better close your mouth," he advised. "Bugs could nest."

"Orochimaru…" he said slowly, leaning on the doorframe for support. "Kabuto…almost raped you…and…you seem perfectly alright with that…"

Orochimaru shrugged. "First of all, I'm bi, so that doesn't matter. And second of all, if I'm okay with it, what makes you think it's rape? So, I'd like to know why you neglected to knock, why you were here in the first place, and frankly, why you're still here now!"

Sasuke shook himself. "I came to tell you there are a bunch of Konohanin running around," he said slowly. "But by all means, continue the love fest. I haven't seen you submissive in my entire life, and I think it would be pretty hilarious. I mean, dominated by a nerd? Well, he is a doctor-I suppose he 'knows things' as far as sex goes. I'll just go kill 'em all…"

"Shut up, deal with it, and get out, you slut," Kabuto snapped, wrapping one arm around Orochimaru's lithe hips. "I've seen you sleep with more people than I've even met in my life. You're so desperate. He's still a virgin, thank whatever god you believe in."

"Secondary," Orochimaru mumbled, "thank you very much."

Kabuto glanced at Orochimaru. "Who was your first?"

"Itachi. Sasuke's brother Itachi. Then Pein, and then Hidan. I was such a whore in Akatsuki." Orochimaru allowed a laugh to escape his throat. "But then Pein decided it was time I stopped sleeping with other people, and took me for himself. Sucks for him, because I had decided to stop having sex at that point." Orochimaru shrugged, leaning into Kabuto's arms. "I pressed charges, but there wasn't much anyone could do. It only increased the price on him from his former village, and he had a few attacks for about six months. Then, it kind of eased off, and price for his head went up again."

"I didn't even know you knew courts existed," Kabuto said dryly.

"Shinobi courts," Orochimaru said off-handedly. "No one else gives a shit. They don't care much either; they just put us in the same room, let us yell at each other, and whoever the judge and jury think is guilty of what and why gets the penalty."

Kabuto shrugged. "Whatever. Hope you put that behind you fairly quickly."

Orochimaru smirked. "My leaving Akatsuki hurt him pretty bad, because I basically jumped up on a mountain and started screaming their secrets to the world. I'm also working on keeping them from their goal of capturing all the bijuu. I killed off two so far."

Kabuto nodded. "Now, enough of your emo past. Where were we again?"

Orochimaru gave Kabuto a smile and turned to face him, arms wrapping around the genin's neck. Kabuto's other hand went to Orochimaru's hips, pulling him closer and kissing him passionately.

Sasuke slammed the door on his way out.

Kabuto and Orochimaru hardly noticed, too lost in each other to care. Kabuto's hips ground against Orochimaru's, yanked into Kabuto by two demanding hands. Kabuto was showing no mercy; his tongue had forced its way into Orochimaru's mouth already, and he was making sure that his hard-on was rubbing painfully against Orochimaru's own. Orochimaru moaned in pleasure, grinding in return and pushing his tongue into Kabuto's mouth. They fought with each other viciously for dominance, but, in the end, Kabuto won out. He pushed Orochimaru back to the multitude of cushions on the floor, hands moving to the sash around the sannin's waist and pulling the knot out of it. The dark silk fell to the floor, along with Kabuto's gloves, headband, and sash. Orochimaru's hands moved to Kabuto's shoulders, lifting his shirt up and over his head and momentarily breaking the kiss. Kabuto set his glasses aside, and the two lovers returned to each other. Kabuto seized Orochimaru and drew him up to his body, throwing one leg over the sannin's hips again. Orochimaru's hands found Kabuto's shoulders, pulling himself up to kiss Kabuto back as the two struggled on the floor. But Kabuto still held the power position, and Orochimaru finally allowed himself to be subdued. Kabuto nipped at his lips and tongue, tasting the bitter-sweet essence of blood in his mouth. Orochimaru bit back, and Kabuto gave up, instead settling for gentle kisses over Orochimaru's face and neck. Orochimaru felt Kabuto's lips pause, and then a harsh sting in his neck. He gasped in shock and pleasure as Kabuto pulled blood vessels to the surface to form a hickey, a dark stain in the middle of Orochimaru's pale canvas of flesh. Kabuto nipped at the area around the hickey, creating several more before finally catching Orochimaru's lips in his own again.

"Orochimaru-sama?"

Orochimaru glanced up at Kabuto, hovering over him and grinning. "What?" he asked quietly.

"How'd you like to make that secondary part of your virginity nonexistent?"

Orochimaru's smile emerged in a demonic grin. "Go for it."

Kabuto smirked and gently tugged the boxers off Orochimaru's slim hips, discarding his own pants and leaving only his boxers. Orochimaru wrapped his arms around Kabuto's neck and brought his head up to Kabuto's to kiss him again. His dark kimono lay out underneath him, open and hiding nothing. Kabuto's hands came down across Orochimaru's chest, running over smooth muscle and satin skin. Orochimaru's own hands found kabuto's boxers, pulling them off to reveal his aching hard-on.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Kabuto gasped, breaking the kiss to breathe. "So, tell me, Orochimaru-sama," he continued lightly, "When was the last time you were topped?"

Orochimaru shrugged. "Last time I had sex was a few weeks ago; last time I was topped was…wow, probably Itachi."

Kabuto's smirk slowly emerged in true sadistic fashion. He could really make this worth it, couldn't he? "Well, then, I'll be right back. I'm going to need some really good lube if I don't want to hurt you too badly."

"Bathroom," Orochimaru said. "The cabinet under the sink. There should be a bottle of aloe in there."

Kabuto nodded and stood up, walking into the bathroom adjacent to Orochimaru's room. He found the aloe easily enough, and came back to his lover to settle down across his hips again. "I'll try not to hurt you," he murmured, coating three of his fingers in a slick covering of aloe. "Just tell me if I go too fast or too far, okay?"

Orochimaru nodded his consent, and Kabuto slid back off his master's legs. A gentle nudge parted them, and Orochimaru lay quietly, waiting for Kabuto's move. Kabuto bent Orochimaru's knees and spread his legs farther, then settled between the sannin's legs and leaned over his chest a bit. "Now, relax," he whispered, his hand moving down to caress Orochimaru's tense ring. "It'll hurt more if you don't relax," he continued, waiting until Orochimaru's hole had loosened a bit to push the first finger in. Orochimaru gasped at the feeling of being penetrated, Kabuto's fingers cold from the aloe covering them. But still, he brought himself under control in a few deep breaths, and Kabuto slowly added the second finger. Orochimaru released a short cry of pain, surprise, and pleasure, and this time it took a bit of coaxing on Kabuto's part to calm him down. Kabuto gently pressed his lips to Orochimaru's, providing the sannin a bit of a distraction. Orochimaru kissed back gladly, and Kabuto's other hand slowly travelled down to pet Orochimaru's stomach. Sweet words were exchanged between kisses, and Kabuto carefully scissored his fingers to stretch Orochimaru a bit more. Finally, he inserted the third finger, almost enjoying Orochimaru's next, lengthy cry. He smirked and kissed Orochimaru again, moving his fingers in and out of Orochimaru's entrance to get him used to the feeling. Orochimaru's back arched in unprecedented pleasure, thrusting down excitedly onto Kabuto's fingers. Kabuto used the hand that had been formerly petting Orochimaru's toned stomach to pin his hips, and continued thrusting into the sannin over and over again. Orochimaru finally seemed to calm down after a bit more of this treatment, and Kabuto let go of his hips. His fingers slid out of Orochimaru's hole, and Orochimaru gave off a wistful, breathy moan of loss. But not for long-Kabuto had only reached back to coat his length, and he made sure that he had it slickly covered before he even went near Orochimaru. One wrong move and he was dead, even with Orochimaru half-crazy with pleasure beneath him.

Kabuto's first thrust stunned Orochimaru.

It was pain. It was pleasure. It was intensity. It was love beyond Orochimaru's wildest dreams. He had never imagined mere sex could feel so good. But then again, he hadn't really had an attachment to any of the Akatsuki he had slept with…he had had an affair with Itachi, but only a short one. And even then, it had turned out Itachi was only using him, and the two broke up shortly before Orochimaru left Akatsuki. Orochimaru had never known love, and thus, had never felt like he did now. Kabuto waited until Orochimaru had gotten used to the sensation, the pulled back and thrust forward again.

Kabuto was a very gentle lover, as Orochimaru soon found. He kept his pace at just the right speed, making sure Orochimaru was comfortable before moving on. His hands held himself above Orochimaru's shoulders, one hand on either side of the sannin's body. Orochimaru's hands were digging into Kabuto's shoulders, trying to ground himself a bit in this flying cloud of pleasure. Kabuto slowly picked up the pace, moving faster and faster with every passing moment. Orochimaru's gasps turned to moans, and his moans turned to full-out cries. Kabuto knew he wasn't in any pain: no friction was being drawn between him and Orochimaru, and it was simply the sex itself that was driving him crazy. Kabuto shifted his angle a bit, easily finding Orochimaru's sweet spot and repeatedly slamming into it. One hand came down to stroke Orochimaru's member, soft caresses timed perfectly with thrusts. Kabuto's sinfully skilled fingers brought Orochimaru over the point of release, and he came hard between them with one long, final scream. Kabuto gave a few more lazy thrusts before coming hard into Orochimaru and collapsing on his chest. He remained with Orochimaru for several more moments, just resting and trying to regain his breath. A soft noise of pain escaped Orochimaru's throat, and Kabuto realized that he was tightening rapidly around his member. Kabuto slid out of Orochimaru easily and settled down on the cushions beside him, suddenly smiling as he glanced around.

"Clean," he said, noting that the cushions were all completely dry. Orochimaru smiled and pulled off the kimono that was underneath him, showing Kabuto why. "Well, I think that's laundry," the genin said lightly, coaxing a laugh out of both of them. Orochimaru slowly stood up and threw the kimono into the dirty laundry pile, wincing as he bent over to drop it into the basket. Kabuto slowly stood up as well, going into the bathroom for a towel. He wiped off his hands and lower portions, splattered with both his and Orochimaru's cum. He tossed the towel to Orochimaru and pulled on his boxers, seemingly unaffected by the experience.

"You'll be feeling that for a day or two," he said as he got dressed. "I was very, very gentle with you this time. But don't expect me to hold back in future occasions." Kabuto smirked at Orochimaru, then bent down again to pull on his pants. He pulled his hair back into its normal ponytail; Orochimaru must have pulled out the tie when they first started kissing, and Kabuto was too busy groping him to notice. Kabuto found his shirt and put it on, then tied his sash around his waist and put his glasses back on. Orochimaru, on the other hand, simply cleaned himself off, put on clean boxers, and another kimono. He didn't seem interested in actually getting dressed. But then again, it would probably hurt like a mother to do so at the current moment…

Kabuto walked over to Orochimaru, put his arms around his shoulders, brought him closer, and set his lips on Orochimaru's in a sweet, chaste kiss. He broke it the second Orochimaru got greedy and kissed back, but the tingling of electricity still remained on their lips.

A loud crash shattered the near-silence.

Orochimaru jumped. "What the hell was that?" he yelped, running to the window and pulling back the curtains. From the angle he was at, he couldn't see anything. "Sounded like something blew up!"

Kabuto paused for a moment, raising one finger in a gesture of knowledge. "Didn't Sasuke say something about Konohanin running around earlier?"


	4. The Slaughtering

Kabuto hated Sasuke.

He could do everything in the world for Orochimaru, but all it took was a disrespectful utterance of the sannin's name and Orochimaru was practically a servant to Sasuke's whim and whine. Kabuto had stood by Orochimaru through thick and thin, through better and worse, and even put up with the snake's nasty mood swings and temper. He had saved Orochimaru's life numerous times, and healed his wounds countless. And all Sasuke did was lie around all day in a foul mood, yelling at everyone and their mother and treating them all like scum. Kabuto, frankly, was sick of it.

And now, Orochimaru lay in bed, his body failing him, with Kabuto leaning over him like a worried mother, and he had the nerve to ask if Sasuke had trained yet.

Kabuto slapped him, despite his condition, and maybe because of it.

"You selfish, inconsiderate, ass!" he screamed at Orochimaru. He couldn't understand why Orochimaru was worried about Sasuke when he was dying. "I am standing here trying to save your sorry ass and all you can ask about is _Sasuke?!"_ Kabuto threw his hands up and paced a wild circle, screaming the entire time. "I have dealt with your horrible moods, fickle attitude, outrageous orders, impossible missions, self-centered life, and disgusting wants for nearly a decade, and you still ask about that…that piglet?! Do you have any idea what I have been doing for the past three days? Certainly not sleeping! I have gotten maybe five hours in two nights, and four the last. I have been making you medicine, making sure Sasuke can train with a few jounin, taking care of the paperwork, making some headway on the experiments, dictating war troops, setting up defenses, and _trying to find you a Goddamned body!!"_

Orochimaru was stunned. He slowly half-sat up, staring at Kabuto, and shaking from the effort of moving. "Kabuto-"

"You know what, just don't…just don't talk to me anymore."'

Orochimaru paused, then fell back to the bed and took a deep breath. "He threatened to kill both me and you."

Kabuto froze, halfway to the door. "He did?" he whispered. Kabuto was stunned. He knew Sasuke had nerve, but that was too much!

Orochimaru nodded. "He's been rather antsy lately. I think he's ready to leave and take on Itachi."

Kabuto sighed. "Very well. I'm locking the door and going to get you a bit more painkiller. I'll get Sasuke drugged, and then you can take him."

Orochimaru nodded slowly, gasping at a fresh wave of pain. "Thank you," he whispered. "Kabuto, please…take care of him quickly. I've never been comfortable around that child, and power makes me more uneasy. He's not going to sit still for very long."

Kabuto nodded and moved back to Orochimaru's side momentarily. He picked up a small, clean towel from the nightstand next to Orochimaru's bed. He dipped it in a basin of water, then folded it and placed it across Orochimaru's forehead. Hopefully, this would take down his temperature a bit, if not soothe him and quiet him. Kabuto then leaned over and placed a small kiss on Orochimaru's lips, sweet and chaste. Kabuto then left the room, satisfied that he had made up with Orochimaru for their angry words. He locked the door and took the key with him, hoping that it would deter anyone from entering the room.

_Over and over; o__ver and over;_

_I fall for you._

_Over and over; over and over_

_I try not to._

Little did he know that was their last kiss.

Kabuto went down to the lab only a few doors down, quickly gathering the medicine he needed for Orochimaru. A bit of painkiller, pill and injection, some stabilizer. Just the basics. He then, on a whim, grabbed a syringe of tranquiller: meant for Sasuke. He could just tell him it was chakra enhancer. Kabuto put everything in his kunai pouch, which was only half-filled with kunai, and headed back to Orochimaru's room. He could hear the sounds of a scuffle, screaming-how long had he been gone? He checked the clock in the hallway: seven minutes. Too long! Kabuto's heart raced; he broke into a run, freezing the second he reached the door.

Blood was seeping out underneath it.

_Now I know it's the last time_

_I have tried:_

_To lift you up, to make things right._

_Nothing is ever redefined;_

_I can't change it if you don't have the will_

_Deep inside._

Sasuke stepped out, splattered with blood and Sharingan blazing. Kabuto took a step back, unsure.

"Who are you?" he questioned, almost afraid to hear the answer.

A flash of light, a surge of chakra, and Kabuto was suddenly watching the battle. He recognized it as the plane inside Orochimaru, the one where he took over his victims. Kabuto swallowed hard; _please, don't let this be true…_

Orochimaru was expressing shock, and Sasuke could be seen freeing himself. He was fighting this hard, but he was fighting a losing battle. Sasuke's own will was tearing Orochimaru apart from the inside. Kabuto screamed in horror-no, not his only love! Not his master, his beautiful purpose in life-!

Sasuke released his genjutsu, and Kabuto cried out in fear and terror. He shoved past Sasuke, breaking into the room and almost fainting in shock.

Orochimaru's true form lay on the ground, slashed brutally into pieces and bleeding still. But what truly hit Kabuto in the stomach was the form of Orochimaru's human boy, hanging from his arms, impaled straight through and pinned to the wall. Orochimaru's honey-sweet eyes were closed, and blood covered his entire body. His arms were held above his head; clearly, Orochimaru had been restrained and tortured before he went all-out. Kabuto felt his eyes begin to sting, and he numbly approached the body. He yanked the sword out, catching Orochimaru's body as he fell. He knew there was no pulse' yet, he still checked the pale column of Orochimaru's throat, hoping, praying, for the gentle beating of a heart-

_Ever felt away without me?_

_Just once that all I need._

_Entwined in finding you one day_

_Ever felt away without me?_

_My love, it lies so deep!_

_Ever dream of me!_

No such luck.

Kabuto just sat there for the longest time, cradling Orochimaru's broken form in his arms. Beautiful black hair stained with blood. Smooth porcelain skin tainted dark with bruises. Captivating eyes closed with fear and lifelessness. Perfect nails darkened with dried crimson life: he had fought. Pale lips sinfully begging to be kissed, in life and death. Kabuto could do nothing but cry as he held his lover's corpse to his chest, begging with every god in the skies to take him instead.

He received no answer.

Kabuto knelt there for what could have been minutes or days; he had lost all sense of time. All he had was Orochimaru, lost forever to him, and beaten down and killed. Kabuto finally got up the courage to pick up Orochimaru's body and carry it out of the room, taking him far away. He moved slowly, wracked with guilt and grief. He didn't bother to hide the body, or his tears: he walked right through the village, ignoring everything around him. He took Orochimaru out to his favorite spot: a hilltop with a large rock where Orochimaru liked to watch the sun set. Only Kabuto knew he loved this place: only Kabuto had ever even been here with Orochimaru. He used an earth jutsu and dug a shallow tomb, still in a fog. But, earth wasn't the only thing he used. He also used water. And these two together could create diamond. Kabuto had spent countless days and nights developing the new element, which he now used for the very first time. He cast a shield of diamond over Orochimaru's body, leaving him just as majestic in death as in life. Kabuto etched a small message into the rock where Orochimaru used to lie in the sun:

_Orochimaru of the Sannin_

_Lover, Otokage, giver of life, seeker of all life, defier of death and age, and radiance of the sun and moon combined_

_I love you._

_I will never forget you._

_I'm sorry._

_And everything else I forgot to say._

_Tears and love, Kabuto_

Kabuto found himself in tears, and dropped the diamond shard he had been using to cut the inscription in the rock. He finally just stuck it in the ground, walked away, and went back to the Oto's main complex.

That night, he slept in Orochimaru's bed.

It still smelled like him, and the pillow was soon soaked with tears.

**A/N: Short, but I thought it was eloquent enough to eek a few reviews. Please review!! I need your opinions!! Songs are Over and Over by Three Days' Grace, The Last Time by Within tempation, and Ever Dream by Nightwish.**


	5. The Avenging

Kabuto was alone.

Dead, stone, alone.

He had never thought he would be without Orochimaru-the sannin always claimed immortality, and he was so powerful…but such was the price of bliss. Arrogance usually came with it, and so did ignorance. Orochimaru himself, Kabuto as well, had failed to see Sasuke growing restless, and how dangerous he was now. And then the damned brat got in close with Orochimaru, and then he killed him. And while he was sick, no less! It proved nothing! It only proved Kabuto's point that Sasuke was a lying, sneaky, conniving, underhanded, ungrateful, freeloading brat, and that he and his brother should have switched names. Kabuto angrily cast aside the syringe he had filled with serum for an experiment-he couldn't concentrate. The thought of going on as normal infuriated him. It was disrespectful to Orochimaru-sama!

Kabuto sighed and turned away from his work, cleaning everything up and putting it all in its proper place. Drugs in cabinets. Tools in trays. Bodies in the morgue. Kabuto finally went back to the lab to check for anything else out of place. He spotted a single bottle on the counter and sighed. Sloppy. He should never have missed that to begin with. Kabuto glanced at the label: some deadly poison he had no cure for. Why was this even out? He hadn't been testing it-

Oh, right. He was debating whether to kill himself or Sasuke with it.

Kabuto sighed. Speak of the devil. Sasuke had just screamed at him down the hall; something about dinner. Kabuto glanced down at the bottle in his hand. Should he…should he not…it would be easy to cover up. And no one liked Sasuke anyway…Kabuto nodded once. It was settled, then. Poison Sasuke tonight, before he lost his resolve. He called back, "I'll be there in a minute!" and shoved the pills into his kunai pouch. If he crushed one into powder, Sasuke wouldn't taste a thing. Mix it in with whatever he was giving him. Kabuto hurried back to his room, soundless and unseen in the stone hallways of Otokagure's underground complex. Kabuto's heart pounded with anticipation-finally, his lover would have his revenge! Kabuto didn't know what would happen to Orochimaru once Sasuke was dead, though…well, it was only his soul that was trapped there, so he would most likely go back to his body. Kabuto was planning on going to the grave and spending the night anyway-and if he could start Orochimaru's heart again, it would encourage his soul to come back-

"Kabuto, _now!"_

Kabuto grit his teeth and, controlling himself with great difficulty, replied, "Coming!"

OOOOOOOOOOO

Sasuke died that night.

Kabuto didn't know what had happened: he didn't hear the screams. He didn't see the writhing, twisted motion of Sasuke's body, fighting the spasms of the poison. He couldn't stop the advance as the venom crept up to Sasuke's heart, wrapping tenderly around it and suddenly causing it to implode. Next came the lungs, collapsing in on themselves. And then the rest of the organs just…shut down. Kabuto couldn't find Orochimaru's soul, and couldn't guide it. It was up to Orochimaru to find himself and 

come alive again. Kabuto had disintegrated the diamond above the tomb with his ninjutsu, baring the body and allowing it to breathe if it ever regained its soul. Kabuto must have sat there for hours, even though Sasuke was long dead, wanting to be the first thing Orochimaru saw when he awoke from his death-like trance. He had healed the wounds, and hoped that this would help Orochimaru's body recover.

Eyelids fluttered.

Kabuto's eyes widened, and he leaned forward in expectation. Had he imagined it? The movement was so tiny, it was hard to decipher…there, again! Orochimaru had found his old body, and had come back to Kabuto. Kabuto reached out, pulling the body from its tomb and into his arms. Orochimaru's breath flowed like a waterfall, and his heart beat like the hooves of a thousand horses, eventually settling into a rhythm and allowing dark amber eyes to open. A deep, gravelly voice spoke, and a long-fingered hand rose to caress Kabuto's cheek.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru whispered, "This is a dream. You have to wake up. Sasuke is dead, but my soul has been released into the open. It will take me a very long time to find you again, so I have sent a part of myself into the blood in my room. Go, consume it. I will be with you, and the rest of my soul will be able to find you again. Wake yourself up, Kabuto-you know how."

Kabuto shook his head furiously. "It isn't true!" he said desperately. "Then how are you speaking to me now?"

"I told you, my soul is wandering. I can communicate to you through dreams, because dreams are infinite. Dreams have no limits. In dreams, you could be anywhere. But Kabuto, I promise, I am alive. I will be with you soon. Please, do not give up. Just go and dispose of Sasuke's body. Give it to Itachi. He'll be happy. Now, wake up. Give Sasuke to Itachi, and wait for me. Do not disturb my grave. I'll take someone else's body. And besides, have you not already sealed me in diamond? It's perfect. Leave it. Go. I'll be back soon."

Kabuto could see Orochimaru's body begin to fade away in his arms, and knew he was waking up. "No!" he cried, clinging to what he had left of Orochimaru. "If this is a dream, I want to stay in it forever! I can't lose you! Not again!"

Orochimaru smiled up at him, his face suddenly calm and serene. "You won't lose me," he whispered, "I told you I'd be back. I'm sorry."

And Kabuto was brutally yanked back to the world of consciousness.

He was in his bed, and the clock on his nightstand read 2:27. Kabuto sighed and turned over, pulling the blankets back up over his body. He had tossed and turned so much that he had lost the sheets, and his pillow was on the floor. Kabuto sighed and picked it up, trying to go back to sleep. But wait…Orochimaru had told him to get some of his blood into his system…oh, he wouldn't sleep for the rest of the night at this rate! Kabuto sighed and rolled out of bed, dressed only in boxers and hair undone. He slipped out of his room, wrapping a kimono around his body and stepping into his shoes by the door. He went down the hall to Orochimaru's room, opening the door and stepping inside. Most of the blood had been hastily cleaned up by some poor sod Kabuto had screamed at to do it. But there was still some splashed on the walls…fresh? Impossible! But it was dripping red-purple, so Kabuto knew it was 

Orochimaru's. No one else bled purple. Kabuto hesitantly raised a hand to it-his mind told him no, his heart told him yes, Sasuke told him no, the rest of the village told him yes-! Kabuto flinched, and his fingers shot forward. Blood smeared over them, and Kabuto suddenly realized that his entire palm was covered with blood.

He had accidently cut himself earlier across the knuckle.

Orochimaru's blood dripped into the wound, and Kabuto's body tensed as the sannin slithered over him, sharp fangs tickling at the side of his face and threatening to bite. Kabuto felt the sting of a blood rise to the surface as Orochimaru's teeth pierced his skin, and he suddenly screamed in pain, clutching at his left eye. The pain was immense! What was happening?!

Kabuto staggered over to a mirror, shattered though it was, and hauled himself up on the vanity in front of it. His hands gripped the wood for support, and Kabuto was slowly able to stand up. He raised his head, looking into the mirror-

He almost fell over in shock.

A golden eye stared back at him, rimmed by violet and slashed by a vertical pupil. Kabuto gasped, staggering backwards and suddenly having the strength to stand. Now he knew what Orochimaru meant by, _I'll always be with you. _But this was a bit too close for comfort!

_Kabuto, please, calm down. I should be out of your hair in a week or two. You are strong; you will draw me back. Don't give up, and don't stop hoping. I will return._

Kabuto slept well that night.

**A/N: Done! It doesn't show anything else about Kabuto in Shippuuden, so I'm calling this one finished. Please review, and let me know what you think! –cough-peoplewhohavethisonalert-cough- Anyway…press da magic button for cookies and cake!**


End file.
